Dongfang Electric Corporation Limited (HKG:1072) shareholders are probably feeling a little disappointed, since its shares fell 5.2% to HK$21.00 in the week after its latest quarterly results. Revenues were CN¥21b, 14% below analyst expectations, although losses didn't appear to worsen significantly, with a statutory per-share loss of CN¥1.15 being in line with what the analysts anticipated. This is an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance in its report, look at what experts are forecasting for next year, and see if there has been any change to expectations for the business. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year.
Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus from Dongfang Electric's twelve analysts is for revenues of CN¥84.6b in 2026. This would reflect a solid 8.4% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to accumulate 5.1% to CN¥1.41. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of CN¥86.4b and earnings per share (EPS) of CN¥1.40 in 2026. The consensus seems maybe a little more pessimistic, trimming their revenue forecasts after the latest results even though there was no change to its EPS estimates.
Check out our latest analysis for Dongfang Electric
The average price target was reduced 8.0% to HK$40.96, with the lower revenue forecasts indicating negative sentiment towards Dongfang Electric, even though earnings forecasts were unchanged. It could also be instructive to look at the range of analyst estimates, to evaluate how different the outlier opinions are from the mean. The most optimistic Dongfang Electric analyst has a price target of HK$69.84 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at HK$17.12. As you can see the range of estimates is wide, with the lowest valuation coming in at less than half the most bullish estimate, suggesting there are some strongly diverging views on how analysts think this business will perform. As a result it might not be a great idea to make decisions based on the consensus price target, which is after all just an average of this wide range of estimates.
Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. It's clear from the latest estimates that Dongfang Electric's rate of growth is expected to accelerate meaningfully, with the forecast 18% annualised revenue growth to the end of 2026 noticeably faster than its historical growth of 12% p.a. over the past five years. Compare this with other companies in the same industry, which are forecast to grow their revenue 17% annually. Dongfang Electric is expected to grow at about the same rate as its industry, so it's not clear that we can draw any conclusions from its growth relative to competitors.
The most important thing to take away is that there's been no major change in sentiment, with the analysts reconfirming that the business is performing in line with their previous earnings per share estimates. Sadly, they also downgraded their revenue forecasts, but the business is still expected to grow at roughly the same rate as the industry itself. Still, earnings per share are more important to value creation for shareholders. The consensus price target fell measurably, with the analysts seemingly not reassured by the latest results, leading to a lower estimate of Dongfang Electric's future valuation.
Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. We have forecasts for Dongfang Electric going out to 2028, and you can see them free on our platform here.
Plus, you should also learn about the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Dongfang Electric .
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.